english



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. M. ENGLISH. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PLAITED'BRAID. No. 433,075.

Patented July 29, 1890.

may

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. M. ENGLISH. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PLAITED BRAID.

No. 433,075. Patented July 29, 1890.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

A. M. ENGLISH. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PLAITBD BRAID.

Patented July 29, 1890.

fiwe vzovc AM V ok we norms Pu-zns co.. mu'ro-uinm, vlAsnma'ro UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AN/J M. ENGLISH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE BECKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

lrllNE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PLAITED BRAID.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,075, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed January 21, 1890. Serial N0. 337,583- (llo model.)

To all whom it may concern: locked by a loop of another strand, each loop Be it known that LANALDO M. ENGLISH, of locking the other, as will be shown and de- Bos'ton, county of Suffolk, State of Massachuscribed.

setts, have invented an Improvement in Ma- Figure l is a top or plan view of the main 5 chines for the Manufacture of Plaited Braid, parts of a machine embodying my invention, 55

of which the following description, in con the support for the mandrel or core and the nection with the accompanying drawings, is spool-supports being also omitted, a part of a specification, like letters on the drawings the bed and one of the carriages at the right representing like parts. being broken oil": to save' space on the draw- This invention has for its object to provide ings, the parts so omittedbeing just the same 60 a machine for the production of a plaited as the parts shown in full at the left. Fig. 2 braid from fiat or round strands. is an enlarged section in the line x a: of Fig.

My machine has strand carriers, herein 1, looking to the right. Fig. 3 is a section in shown as needles, which are actuated in suethe line .20 :L' of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a detail in IS cession and afteranovel manner. Thebraid section, chiefly to show the clamping mech- 65 produced may be of various forms in crossanism for clamping the strand at certain times section, such as quadrangular, triangular, or in the production of the plait. Fig. 5 is adeof other many-sided forms. tail showing the end of one of the guides or In accordance with my invention a series ways. Fig. 6 is a detail showing one of the of strand-carriers, preferably hollow needles, fingers or loop-holders. Fig.7 is a partial sec- 70 are attached to holders. preferably removably tion and elevation of the machine in line an attached to radially moving carriages, so that as of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a top or plan view of the strands, whether flat or round, are, in the one of the carriages to which the holders for reciprocation of the strand-carriers past a the strand-carriers are attached. Fig. 9 is an 2 5 common center, made to cross each other, each enlarged detail, partially broken out, of one of 7 5 carrier entering a loop or stitch in a strand of the holders with the strandcarrier omitted. some other carrier and having its own loop or Figs. 10 to ll, inclusive, are details showing stitch entered in turn by another carrier, as the strand-carriers in different positions as will be hereinafter described. they will appear in the manufacture of a The plaited braid produced by the machine plaited braid. Figs. 15 and 16 show a modi- 8o herein to be described is herein represented fied form of holder adapted for the reception as quadrangular in crosssection and requires of two strand-carriers; and Fig. 17 represents four flat strands forits production, two of the a modification of my invention, wherein two strands being shown as narrower than the cores are shown with two extra needles.

other two; but if the machine should contain Referring to the drawings, A represents a 85 but three strand-carriers the braid produced suitable bed-plate, it being herein shown as might be triangular, and with more than four a cruciform. This bed-plate, as represented strand-carriers the braid may be oblong. best in Fig. 7,has a hub A, which constitutes Each strandcarrier, as herein shown, has a a bearing for the hub A of the canrplate A 40 spring-finger,whichacts to support the strand the said cam-plate having a cam-groove A 0 between the point of the strand-carrier and (see Fig. 1,) the said groove receiving a series the holder as the point of the strand-carrier of like rollers or other studs, as a, having passes the center line of the machine or the plates a connected, as will be described, each point occupied by the mandrel or core, the to a like slide 1), to be herein described, the

said spring supporting one side of the strand rotation of the said cam-plate causing the rc- 95 or braid, while another strandearrier enters ciproeatiou of the plates and slides in a radial the space between the strandcarrier and direction toward and from the center of the spring to thus enteraloop or stitch. Aloop machine. As herein represented, the bedor stitch, as I may call it, is made in each plate has rising from it certain guideways A,

strand, and each loop or stitch is entered and there being in practice in the present ma- IOO chine four such guideways, each alike. These guideways in practice receive like slides 29, and hence a full description of one set of devices made movable in one of the guideways will suflice to enable all the like parts to be understood, and in the further description I will by like letters designate like parts, except as to the strand-carriers, which I shall letter separately to facilitate the description of their movements.

I will now proceed to describe the devices shown in the guideway at the left-hand side of the drawings in Figs. 1 and 7. The guideway A shaped in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 5, receives a slide b, the latter being kept down therein by means of suitable gibs I), attached thereto by suitable screws. The under side of each slide has, as herein shown, dovetailed projections, as b (see Figs. 2 and 3,) to receive between them the dovetailed plate a referred to, the said plate being clamped at one edge (see Fig. 2) by means of a bolt, as b having an undercut notch with an inclined side, the said screw receiving upon it a nut 6 which takes bearing upon a cross rib of the carriage. The bolt b serves to clamp the slide b firmly upon the plate a in any desired position, so that the slide moves in unison with the plate, the adjustment of the slide on the plate enabling the slide to terminate its forward or backward throw at any desired distance from the centerof rota-- tion of the cam-plate A that depending upon the kind of plait being laid.

To effectthe adjustment of the slide 1) on the plate a I have provided the slide with a screw 1), having a head 12 to bear against a rib of the slide, the screw rotating freely in the said rib without moving longitudinally, the-threaded part of the screw engaging a threaded stud b suitably attached to the plate a so that rotation of the screw 1) draws the slide forward or backward upon the said plate.

Each carriage b, as herein shown, has near its inner end one or more studs or equivalents b ,which, as herein shown, are engaged by one or more springs, as b ,attached to the carriage C, so that the said carriage may be readily applied to or removed from the slide 1), when desired. These carriages, as herein shown, consist, essentially, of a base, as 0, having suitable uprights c 0 c and having, preferably, a stud 0 which, as herein represented, serves merely as a rest upon which may be laid and held the needle-holder D, the said holder being retained upon the said carriageby means of a suitable screw, as 0", represented as screwed up through the base and into the holder, as best shown in Figs. 7 and 9.

The holders D are suitably shaped to receive the like strand-carriers e e (2 6 to be carried by them ashereinafter described.

. The holder D in the form in which I have herein represented the same has aguide-slot, as d, and a notch, as (1*, the carrier being normally kept pressed down in proper working position by a spring d attached at its rear end to the holder, as represented in Fig.

7. This holder,which may be of any suitableor desired shape, is represented as containing bearings for a rock-shaft (1 carrying a clamping-lever at, through which the strand 12 isl'ed from a suitable spool f, the lower end of the said clamp, as herein shown, bearing upon the said braid 12, (see Fig. 4,) which is led from the said spool over a leader 18, and then through a suitable hole or eye at the upper end of the said clamping-lever. From the lower end of the clamping-lever d the strand, either flat braid or tape,or, it may be, a cord, passes over a take-up, (herein shown as a roll m at the lower ends of a lever m,) pivoted at 20 between the uprights c 0 the strand pass ing from the under side of said roll directly through the hollow strand-carrier or needle 6. Each clamping-lever has a spring 24 connected to it by a rivet or screw 25, and the free end of the spring is acted upon by an adjustingscrew 26, the said spring normally acting to keep the lower end of the clamping-lever on the strand passing between it and the upright part 27 of the holder.

As herein shown, the hollow strand-carriers or needles are alike, except as to size, they being shown of different sizes merely to represent their adaptation to strands of different width.

Each carrier, as herein represented, has a projection, as 22, which enters a notch d Fig. 9, in a part of the holder D,the"said projection and notch constitutinga kind of joint to permit the carrier or needle to rise and fall at its front end, the said carrier or needle between its ends passing through the suitable slot d in a flange or upright (1 forming part of the holder D, so that the said carrier or needle may rise and fall therein during the operation of plaiting, as will be described.

The carriers or needles 6 e e a as herein shown, are bent downwardly near their front ends at a little distance back from their points and are provided with suitable springs,

as h h h 71. the free end of each spring normally coming in contact with the under side of the carrier or needle with which it co-operates, thus leaving a space between each carrier and its spring through which another carrier and the spring may pass when looping the strands together, the strand controlled by a carrier resting against the spring of that carrier when the carrier is forward.

If desired, the holder D may be made in two pieces 30 31, as represented in Figs. 15 and 16; but this is only to enable the top part 31 to be changed for another top part in which the flange d contains two or more made in one piece, as in Fig. 9.

By providing the flange 01 with more than one slot I may employ more than one needle in a carriage, as in Figs. 15 and 16, and whenmore than one needle isemployed the holder Its will also be provided with a suitable clamping-lever for each strand going to each needle.

The take-up is acted upon by a suitable spring m (herein shown as attached at one end to the holder,) and merely to facilitate the connection of the said spring with the part m of the take-up and enable the takeup to be actuated with greater or less power I have connected a latch m to one end of the spring, the said latch having several notches, (see Fig. 7,) and constituting an adjusting device for the said spring, the adjusting device being made to engage the short arm of the take-up lever; but I desire it tobe understood that the end of the said spring may be connected directly to the takeup lever or to any other usual form of adjusting device instead of the notched bar.

The bed A at one side has erected upon it, as herein shown, a suitable standard, as F, Fig. 7, provided with a suitable cross-arm F, having suitable pinsor spindles, as F for the reception of suitable spools, as f, containing the strands 12 13 14 15 (see Figs. 10 to 12) to be used in the plait, the several strands being led one to each one of the carriers or needles employed in the machine. One or all of the guideways are or may be provided with spring-arms having cam-surfaces g. I have shown these arms 9 on buttwo guidewaysviz., those where the carriers 6 and e are used. These arms are secured by screws 34:, and are acted upon through the forward movement of a carriage by a suitable stud or projection, as g thereon, the stud being herein shown as attached to one of the uprights 0 the inner ends of the said armshaving attachedthereto suitable fingers, as 9 Figs. 1 and 6, preferably attached thereto in an adjustable manner by screws 9 passing through slots in the said fingers, the said fingers being depressed at the proper times immediately above a strand to keep down the loopor stitch, as it may be called,of the braid delivered from the end of the carrier or needle immediately below itas, for instance, the finger 9 shown in Figs. 11 and12, keeps down the loop from the carrier or needle e-the said finger preventing the rising of the loop or stitch during the passage across it of one of the other carriers or needles, as will be described.

The upper end of the hub A, Fig. 7, is shown as provided with a post n, bent over at its upper end, which upper-end has a suitable collar or head to receive amandrelor core n, the said core being held in adjusted position by a suitable screw 12 The plait to be made is formed around the lower end of the mandrel or core and is fed off from the lower end thereof as made. This mandrel or core may be of any desired shape, and any desired number of mandrels or cores may be used, according to the number of carriers or needles employed with each holder and the particular width or shape of the plaited braid to be produced.

In the drawings, Fig. 1, I have shown four needles, each provided with its own strand, (herein supposed to be a fiat tape or braid but I have not in said figure shown all the devices for actuating all the carriers or needles, because they are alike.

In operation,let it be assumed that each strand-carrier or needle has been properly threaded, and that the ends of the strands have been connected together and are held by a suitable weight or other device, such as is commonly used in knitting or other machines, to put tension upon the said strands while the machine is being started.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 10, they are supposed to show the carriers or needles in the same position.

To facilitate the description of the operation I have designated the carriers or needles as e e e e and the springs as h h h if, and the strands going to them as 12 13 14 15.

Referring to Figs 1 and 10, the strand 13 has a stitch or loop formed about the carrier or needle e the carrier or needle c has been pushed forward through between the carrier or needle e and its spring k and through a loop of the strand carried by the carrier or needle 6 and the front end of the carrier or needle 6 has been passed over the strand 12, carried by the carrier or needle e, which at that time is supposed to be fully rctracted, a loop or stitch of the strand 12 being drawn about the strand 13. In Figs. 10 to 14 the mandrel or core 01 is shown as occupying a position between the strands. The finger g co-operates with the strand .13 to keep it down, and is in Fig.10 shown as elevated above the said strand; but in Fig. 11 the said finger has been pushed down upon the said strand. Vith the strands in the position Fig. 10 the further rotation of the cam A will cause the carriers or needles 6 c c c to be moved in the direction of the arrows thereon until they arrive in the position Fig. 11, wherein it will be seen that the carrier or needle c has moved forward and entered between the spring h and the carrier or needle 6 and in so doing has entered a loop or stitch of the strand 15, and that the carrier or needle has been moved slightlyback,while the carrier or needle 6 withdraws out from the loop or stitch in the strand 13, the movement of the carrier or needle 6 being suiiieient to cause it to draw the strand 13 about the strand 14, as represented in Fig. 11, and the finger g comes down upon the strand 13, the said finger holding this said strand down, so that when the carrier or needle 6 is again moved forward its point will cross the strand 13. A third position of the carriers or needles is shown in Fig. '12, wherein it will be seen that the carrier or needle 6 has been pushed fully through the loop or stitch in the strand 15 of the carrier or needle 8 and that the IOC IJO

carrier or needle e has been pushed forward through a loop of strand 12, carried by the carrier or needle 6, and in the passage of the carrier or needle 6 between the carrier or needle 6 and the spring h the point of the said carrier or needle passes over the strand 14. Continuing this operation, the carriers or needles e and e and e and e are made to work in pairs, the needles of each pair moving in the same direction in substantially the same time, that needle of the pair which is being retracted being started first by the camgroove, the other needle of the pair following it and continuing to move slightly after the needle stops. In this Way it results that a series of stitches or loops are formed in the strands, one loop locking the other and forming a plaited braid substantially such as rep resented in Fig. 12, wherein it will be seen that the loops are laid at angles to each other, and that the resultant braid is rectangularin 4 cross-section.

It will be obvious that the cross-sectional shape of the plaited braid may be made to vary-that is, it may be quadrangular, quadrilateral, or trian gular-accordin g to the nu mber and location of the carriers or needles and their angular position with relation to each other.

Figs. 13 and 14 show how the strands are bent backward and forward in regular layers from end to end of the plaited braid, and in this way the strand is not twisted, so it be comes possible to plait narrow braids or tapes into a larger plaited braid without twisting any of the strands.

Phe carriers or needles in their operation I are made to cross each other at an angle and form their strands into loops to be entered by other strands delivered by other carriers or needles.

In the manufacture of the plaitcd braid herein shown it will be understood that one loop is formed after another in the direction of the length of the braid, and as there are four carriers the loops are really laid or superimposed in succession, one at each of the four sides of the braid, the formation of the loops or stitches following loop after loop about the four sides of the braid.

In the production by machinery of braids other than fiat it is customary to move the strand-carriers around a center, some carriers moving in one and others in an opposite direction, the strands taking a spiral direction in the article produced, as in braiding-machines.

In this my invention the carriers have only a movement of reciprocation in a right line, and the strand delivered by each carrier appears as if corrugated, or layer after layer in the same strand appears superimposed, one layer over another, the said layers being connected by cross-layers formed of other strands.

Prior to my invention strands of thread, &c., carried by needles have been looped together, as in sewing-machines; but prior to the same so as to cross each other in angular direction, as the devices for reciprocating the said carriers might be variously modified without departing from my invention.

By the term series of strand-carriers I mean more than two such carriers.

In Fig. 1'7 I have shown a modification wherein I have represented an extra core or mandrel, marked n extra needles 6 and 6 being added, the said figure showing the concatenation of the braid and suitable needles, that the braid is wider than it is thick, and that the cores or mandrels are bent in slightly toward each other at their lower ends.

I claim 1. An organized machine for the manufacture of plaited braid, it containing three or more reciprocating strand-carriers arranged at an angle to each other and crossing each other in their reciprocations, each strand-carrier entering a loop made in the strand carried by another carrier, and in turn having a loop made in its own strand entered by a loop of a strand carried by another carrier, substantially as described.

2. A series of strand-carriers having attached springs and a series of holders to which the said carriers are attached, combined with means to reciprocate the said holders and strand-carriers, the latter crossing each other at an angle, substantially as de scribed.

3. A series of strand-carriers having attached springs and a series of holders to which the said carriers are attached, combined with a mandrel and means to reciprocate the'said holders and strand-carriers, the latter crossing each other at an angle, substantially as described.

4. A series of strand-carriers, holders to which they are attached, strand-clamping devices, and take-up devices, combined with means to reciprocate the said holders and cause the said strand-carriers to cross each other at an angle to interloop their strands, substantially as described.

5. A series of strand-carriers, a series of holders to which they are attached, a take-up for the strand carried by each carrier, a se ries of carriages to which the said holders are attached, a series of slides to which the carriages are attached, and means to reciprocate the said slides, substantially as described.

6. The cam-disk A the series of plates actuated thereby, and a series of slides 11, combined with adjusting devices, substantially as described, to adjust the said slides ICC toward or from the center of the said camdisk.

7. A series of iongitudinaily-reciprocating strand-carriers and a mandrel or core, com- 5 bined with fingers to keep down the loops of the strands, substantially as described.

8. The herein-described method of forming plaited braid from three or more strands, which consists in forming loops in the said 1o strands in succession and locking the said loops in succession around or at the different sides of the braid each by a loop of another strand, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 15 two subscribing Witnesses.

ANALDO M. ENGLISH.

Witnessesz.

GEo. W. GREGORY, E. J. BENNETT. 

